Improvement in tips for flexible electric conducting-cords



L. E. HEATON. 9 Tip for Flexible Electric Conducting Cords.

Patented Jan. 29,1878.

N-PETERS. PHOTO-LITNQGRIQFHER. WA$NINGTON D. C.

"UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LEWIS El HEATON, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO EUGENE F.PHILLIPS,1OF SAME PLACE.

'IMPROVEMENT m l'lPS'I-OR F LE:XIBLE ELECTRIC CQNDUCTlNG-CORDS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent N0. 199,827, "dated January29, 1878; application filed i December 7, 1877. I

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, LEwIs E. HEATON, of the city and county ofProvidence, in the State of Rhode Island, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Tips for Flexible Electric Conducting Cords, &c.;and I do hereby declare that the following specification, taken inconnection with the drawings furnished and forming a part of the same,is a clear, true, and complete descriptionthereof.

My tips are well adapted for use on tele graphic switch-cords, and alsoon flexible cords for therapeutic electrical apparatus; but they havebeen specially designed for use with flexible conductors for use inconnection with vocal telephones. The usage to which telephonic cordsand their tips are subjected is very se vere, the telephone beingfrequently dropped, so as to cause a sudden, quick strain upon the cordsand tips and if the cords be kinked at any time, it is common for theusers to pull on them heavily for the purpose of straightening, andimder these circumstances the tips are frequently detached and the cordrendered useless. Whatever may be the character of the I conductor, itis essentially insulated and protected by a suitable jacket or jackets,and it is equally essential that the tip-wire be in as perfect electriccontact with the conductor as is possible; and as the conductor isusually of comparatively little tensile strength, it is important thatthe tip-wire be properly connected with the conductor, and at the sametime securely connected with the insulating j acket, on which relianceis placed for the requisite tensile strength in the cord.

To these ends my invention consists in the combination, with an electricconductor inclosed within an insulating and strengthening jacket, thesame constituting a flexible electric cord, of a wire tip embedded withthe conductor within the jacket, a compressin g-binder outside of thejacket, for securing close contact of the tip-wire with the conductor,as

well as to afford an annular boss or shoulder outside the jacket, and ametallic shell, which encircles the cord and tip-wire at their junction,is compressed uponand around the binder, and secured at its end to thetip-wire.

To more particularly describe my invention,

I will refer to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 representsa piece of electric cord with my improved tip attached. Fig. 2represents the end of a piece of cord, with its jacket split to theconductor and a tip-wire inserted for contact. Fig. 3 represents thejacket closed upon the tip-wire and the compressing-binder applied. Fig.4 represents a blank from which a tip-shell is made.

The insulatingjackets are shown at a, of which, in this instance, thereare three, the two outer ones being of braided fabric and the inner oneof vulcanized rubber. Any form of insulating-jacket may be employed,provided it have suificient tensile strength to protect the conductor bagainst tensile strain and has the proper insulating capacity. Theconductor is usually of soft copper, sometimes in a single length ofwire, finely coiled, sometimes in numerous lengths of straight finewire; and it is also made in other forms too numerous to mention.Whatever may be the form of the conductor, the tip-wire 0 must have itsinner end in good electric contact therewith. If the conductor be acoiled wire, I insert the tip- Wire Within the coil, and if theconductor be composed of fine wires, I embed the tip-Wire among them, ifpossible, so that it will be well surrounded. Access to the conductormay be readily attained by slitting the jackets, as shown. After thetip-wire has been thus inserted the compressing-binder d is applied withas much pressure as will cause the conductor and tip-wire to be in closeand perfect contact.

The compressing-binder may be composed of numerous wraps of strong, finewire, or tightly-spun cord, well waxed, or it may be in the form of ametallic open ring, which, when applied at the proper point withrelation to the inner end of the tip-wire and the end of the jacket,(usually midway,) is heavily compressed and closed upon the cord. Whenthe binder has been thus applied the tip-shell e is placed in position,with its outer end extended beyond the end of the jacket, and by meansof clamping-dies it is closed in upon the cord under heavy pressure, andreduced in diameter on each side of the binder, as shown.

The shell maybe made of sheet metal from a blank, as shown in Fig. 4, sothat, when compressed, its edges will overlap; or it can be 5 formedfrom a seamless tube of thin soft metal,

7 in which case the compressing-dies will pref erably have corrugatedfaces for corrugating r the shell longitudinally, so as to take upread-VV ily the surplus'metal. I' prefer,however, a

shell made from a blank, as shown.

'HoweVer made, the inner end of the shell should'be outwardly flanged,as shown, in or- V der that the exterior-braided jacket shall not beicutor abraded insubsequent use. 7 r

After the compression of the shell it is solidly united to the tip-wireby soft solder, as

at f, whichcloses the end of theshell and affords a neat finish.

V 7 It will be seen that the-conductor cannot possibly be subjected totensile strain, because 7 the tip-wire is firmly secured to the shell,and

the shell is longitudinally secured to thejacket, because closed inuponand around the binder,

and that iflberdhance, the jacket should stretch slightly, the electricrelations between the tipent- The" combination, with an electric cord orconductor, of a tip-w1re,acompressing-binder,

, and atip-shell which is compressed and closed i 1 V 'down'upon andaround the binder and firmly secured to the 'tipwire, substantially as'de-' scribed.

' LEWIS E. HEATON,

Witnesses: s

JOHN C. PURKIs, r I GILMoN E. J OPP.

